1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally concerns maternity apparel, and specifically relates to a stretchable garment that can be worn in such a way as to allow pants, shorts, or a skirt to be left open at the waist. Alternatively, the garment may allow a woman to wear oversized maternity pants or skirts without those pants or skirt falling off or appearing too large, bulky, or awkward during early pregnancy or when her belly is not yet big enough to fill the maternity wear. In both instances, the garment accommodates changes in the shape of the body during pregnancy and afterwards.
2. Description of the Related Art
The shape of a woman's body changes dramatically during pregnancy, and even after pregnancy, can require considerable time and effort to return to normal. In particular, the pregnant woman's belly goes through several phases, expanding and retracting over a period of time which is relatively short in comparison to non-pregnancy related weight gains and losses. At some point during pregnancy and for a given period post-partum, the pregnant woman is unable to wear her normal clothes, particularly pants and skirts, which can no longer be fastened. Specialized maternity clothes are available but even with these specialized items, the continued changes in the shape of the pregnant woman often result in constant challenges with any clothing. While the maternity apparel industry has responded to the extent it can by developing new designs intended to expand and retract with the pregnant and post-pregnancy changes, the results are often unsatisfactory and stylistically unpleasing. Despite the efforts of maternity apparel companies, the range of sizes of at which women begin and end their pregnancies is so vast that creating garments that can last throughout pregnancy is simply too challenging.
Noticeable changes generally start in early pregnancy when a woman's belly begins to show thereby causing her pants and skirts to feel tighter around the waist. This stage is called transition. The woman may try rudimentary solutions to fasten clothes without the normal closure at the waist, or may buy pants and skirts one or several sizes larger than her pre-pregnancy size for this temporary phase, but such clothing is nonetheless ill-fitting. On top of this, the continued tumescence over the following weeks will obviate these temporary measures. There are few practical solutions for this transition stage.
At the end of the transition stage, the pregnant woman begins wearing maternity clothes. However, it is often the case that her belly cannot fill most maternity garments (18-26 week range). Maternity apparel is generally manufactured for an average-sized woman in her seventh month of pregnancy (about 30 weeks). Typically a panel garment made for bottom-half maternity wear remains too large until the woman is well into her second trimester, or entering her third trimester (22-32 week range). Available maternity clothing is usually too loose at this stage, and the pregnant woman typically wears excess fabric around her belly, which appears bulky and unattractive underneath her blouses, sweaters and T-shirts. Or the woman may purchase maternity wear that fits her early-staged belly, but will be outgrown as her body increases in size entering her late second trimester and third trimester.
Only in about the 30-40 week range does the body typically fill and wear well the available maternity clothing. However, in this stage when her belly is round, her body has changed its shape and her belly out-balances her back. During this period, her maternity pants often fall while walking as her pant panels slide down from a large belly, or her under-the-belly pants, skirts, or shorts slip down in back as a result of her belly pushing front waistbands down toward her pelvic bone. Hence, the pregnant woman spends an inordinate amount of her time pulling her pants up.
After delivery, the woman's body continues its metamorphosis as it reshapes into its normal size over weeks or months. Finding clothes to fit properly requires considerable creativity. At most stages, the maternity clothing, oversized regular clothing, or the normal size regular clothing will be ill-fitting, either too tight or too loose, too bulky, and/or awkward and unattractive.
In the prior art, these problems have been addressed in various ways. U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,298 shows a waistband extender allowing the pants to be worn open, but with an elastic strip connecting to the waistband at the top so as to allow an expanded size at the waist; U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,356 is similar. U.S. Pat. No. 2,787,792 shows a maternity skirt with an elastic insert in the area needing additional room; U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,229 is somewhat similar. U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,170 merely shows a band worn as an undergarment, to give the body a more pleasing shape. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,431,562 and 3,089,149 show skirts that can be re-shaped with insert panels to provide for a larger waist.
Similar to the devices in some of the above patents is the product “Belly Belt,” which is made in Australia and marketed online by Motherhood Maternity. The product is a simple fabric panel about seven inches wide, with a belt channel formed along the top edge to receive an included elastic belt. The pants or skirt are worn open, with the panel tucked behind to cover the open area and the elastic belt secured by button and buttonhole connected to existing buttonhole and button the pants or skirt.
Nothing in the prior art shows or suggests the approach of the present invention by which the pregnant woman's normal clothes can be worn, throughout much of the pregnancy and postpartum, in a comfortable and attractive manner.